What are your favorite spaceships from science fiction shows, movies, games, comics, anime or anything?
The Swordfish from Cowboy Bebop is probably my top favorite. I like the idea of small compact ships meant for a single person and going fast.
For that same reason I love the Razorback from The Expanse. Except the engine to ship ratio in this universe probably makes more sense realistically. The cockpit 360 swivel system is also really clever.
The Outlaw Star from… Outlaw Star is not a small ship. I just like it because it looks cool despite its goofy unrealistic grapple arms that hold weapons.
Moya from Farscape. Creepy, organic, but strangely lived in. Also very temperamental.
I always liked the designs of the ships in Babylon 5 as each culture had a distinctive aesthetic that told you a bit about them - human craft were chunky and practical, Minbari ships were elegant, Vorlon vessels were organic, etc.
Gotta be spike’s ship from cowboy bebop. Instantly recognizable silhouette. Gorgeous design.
I really like the ship designs of Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Especially the flagship Brünhild
Maybe it’s because I’m old, but BSG’s vipers.
Oh, and the Lexx!
Lexx!
We need more bug-ships in modern sci-fi. Dune’s thopters don’t quite do it for me.
From Halo, my favorite ship is probably the Heart of Midlothian, followed by the Spirit of Fire. There’s something I like about the slabbed, angular bow.
From Mass Effect, the Tempest, bar none the most attractive ship I think I’ve ever laid eyes on. I think she looks better when you can walk around her, it’s hard to get a good angle on.
And an odd one out, the Taiidan Destroyers from Homeworld are particularly badass, even if their gun layout is objectively hot garbage. Could say the same about most Taiidan ships, they look less functional and more like the product of an unchallenged imperial navy. Kushan vessels feel comfortably realistic but aren’t visually distinct.
(HD artwork by Jayden Morris on Artstation)
The Normandy from Mass Effect
The original? Or the better one? 😉
I’m old. Original. Loved me some janky mako driving too
Ha gotta love the Mako. The fridge on ice skates.
I’ve always liked just about any sentient/thinking ship. Oddly enough, I can’t think of any examples where a thinking ship has been paired with a wicked design. Although I might just be overlooking something.
But some examples from sci-fi fiction:
- Gay Deceiver (Robert A. Heinlein - he was using the term “gay” in its original sense)
- Helva, from Anne McCaffrey’s The Ship Who Sang (she’s technically a human “Brain” installed in a ship…but the series is written as if she’s the ship in many ways)
- Zora (Star Trek: Discovery . I really wish she’d gotten more time, a Star Trek ship that is sapient is something we should’ve been able to explore in lots of detail)
- ART - Asshole Research Transport, aka Perihelion, from Martha Well’s Murderbot Diaries
Edit: Sorry about the spam, all us social media lemmings are making things slow and buggy, poor lemmy.world can’t keep up with us.
The Culture ships. I’m sure at least a few of them look wicked.
I’d have to go with the Galactica from Battlestar Galactica.
Basically an aircraft carrier in space, and it didn’t hurt that I grew up on watching the original series. Watching the vipers launch out of the Galactica was pretty cool when you’re young.
The “Adama maneuver “ is still one of the coolest space ship battle moves I’ve seen on screen
“Terran Trade Authority Handbook: Spacecraft 2000 – 2100 AD” - it is full with cool spaceships like this… I love this book.
Is that a Chris Foss design?
That book is by Steward Cowley,1978 Was lucky to find a copy in great condition a while back. It was one of my favourite books when I was a kid.
Here are a couple more pics… https://the-haunted-closet.blogspot.com/2011/09/spacecraft-2000-to-2100-ad-stewart.html?m=1
“[…] illustrated by various sci-fi artists, among them Angus McKie, Bob Layzell, Colin Hay, and Tony Roberts. […]”